Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-12-10
TlLk WELL BY TIE GATE.

BRooKLyN, Nov. 2S.-This morning
at the Tabernacle, after explaining ap.
propriate passages Of Scripture, The
Rev. 7. DlNFitl Talmage, ID. d., gave
ont the following hymn, that was sung
by the congregation with great hearth
ness:
"Burlcd IN rCrrOw and in sin
At helpa lSrk door we lay;
But we sris: 10y grace Divine,
TO see % glorious DAY 4"
The subject Of the sermon was, THE
Well by the Gate" and the text, ooh,
that one would give me drink OF
the water Of the we'll of Bethlehem
which is by the gater'-2 Samuel
xiii, Is.
War, always distressing is especially
~ruinous in harvest time. When the
crops are All ready for the sickle, to
have them trodden down by cavalry
horses and Leavy supply trains gully
ing the fields, is enough to make any
mans heart sick. When the last great
war broke out in Europe, and France
and Germany were coming into horrid
collision, | rode across their golden
harvests, and saw the tents pitched,
and the trenches dug in the very midst
OF the ripe fields, the long scythe of
battle sharpening to now down har-
vests of men in great winrows of the
dead. 1t was at this season of harvest
that the army of the Philistincs came
down upon Bethlehem. Hark TO the
olamOr of their voices, the neighing of
their chargers, the blaro of their trump
cts, and the clash Of their shields!
DAYID's RETREAT.
Let David and his men fall back!
The Lords host sometimes loses the
day. But David knew where to hide.
he had been brought up in that coun-
try. Boys are inquisitlve, and they
know all about the region where they
were born and brought up. Ii you
should go back TO the old homestead,
you could, with your eyes shut, find
your way to the meadow, or the
orchard, or the hill back of the house,
with which you were familiar thirty or
forty years ago. So David knew the
cave of Adullam. Perhaps, in his boy
hood days, be had played "hide-and-
SEEK" with his comrades all about the
old cave; and though others might not
have know il, David did. Travellers
say there is only n way of getting
into that cave, and that is by a very
narrow path; but David was stout, and
steady-headed, and st~eady-nerved; and
so, with his three brave s~taif.oflicers,
he goes along that path. finds his way
into the cave, sits down, looks around
at the roof and tho dark passages of
the mountain, feels very weary with
the forced march; and water he must
have, or die. | do not know but there
may have been drops ~trickling down
the eide OF the cavern, or that there
may have been some water in the goat
skin slung TO his girdle: but that was
not what he wanted. He wanted a
deep, full, cold drink, such as a man
gets only out of an old we'll with moss
covered bucket. David remembered
that very near th&t cave of Adullam
there was such q well as that. a well
to which he used to 60 in boyhood-
the well Of Bethlehem; and he almost
imsgines that he can hear the liquid
plash Of that well, and his parched
tongue moves through his hot lips as
he says, "Oh, that one would give me
drink Of the water OF the we'll of Beth
lehem, which is by the gate"
WATER FROM THE VEL OF BETHLEHEM.
1t was no sooner said than done.
The three brave staff officers bound to
their feet and start. Brave soldiers
will take even "a hint from their COM
mauder. But between them and the
well lay the host of the Philistines; and
what could three men do with q great
armyp Yet where there is a will there
is a way, and with their swords slash
ing this way and that, they make their
path TO the well. While the Philistines
are amazed at the seeming foolhardi-
pess Of these three men, and can not
make up their minds exactly what it
means, the three men have come to
the well. They drop the bucket.
They bring up the water. They pour
it in The pail, aud then start for the
cave. stop them!' cry the Philistines.
"Cip them with your swords. Stab
them with your spears! Stop those
three menu Too latef They have
get around the hill. The hot rocks are
splashed with the OVERLOOKING water
from the vessel as it is carried up the
cliffs. TIE three men 90 along the
dangerous path, and with cheeks flush
ed with the excitement, and all out of
breath in their haste, they fling their
swords, red with the skirmish, to the
side Of the cave, and cry out to David,
There, captain of tue host, is what
YOU wanted, q drink from the well of
Bethlehem, which is by the gate"
THE Uses Oh A TENT.
u A.. =. Il - -. A. 49, 49,, \